In fluid mechanics, Kelvin's circulation theorem (named after the Irish scientist who published this theorem in 1869) states In an inviscid, barotropic flow with conservative body forces, the circulation around a closed curve (which encloses the same fluid elements) moving with the fluid remains constant with time. The theorem was developed by William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin. Stated mathematically:
where is the circulation around a material contour . Stated more simply this theorem says that if one observes a closed contour at one instant, and follows the contour over time (by following the motion of all of its fluid elements), the circulation over the two locations of this contour are equal.
This theorem does not hold in cases with viscous stresses, nonconservative body forces (for example a coriolis force) or non-barotropic pressure-density relations.
Read more about Kelvin's Circulation Theorem: Mathematical Proof
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